Naruto: Mortal Core, Nevermore
by Grey Rayne
Summary: The end of brotherly love. The end of a journey, and of a life. A short story.


Naruto: Mortal Core, Nevermore.

A short by Grey Rayne.

Disclaimer (Even need one of these for a short...): I, Grey Rayne, do not own anything, whether it be items, characters, place names or anything within the Naruto universe. I do own a few characters within this story, but they may be used freely by all.

Naruto is a trademark of Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

The blood of ages finally spilled, lapped and kissed blue sandals. 

He huffed and wheezed, the young man who had fought with every fibre, every muscle and all the heart that he had left, although there wasn't much of the latter anymore...

His enemy, his only_ real_ enemy, lay ensconced in a growing mantle of blood.

He was still moving, trying to claw at his ankles. He kicked the arm away savagely; he would not give him any satisfaction, no hope, nothing.

"But I will give you death..." He said out loud, "death like no other."

The figure lying sprawled on the ground slunk backwards into a sitting position, held up by his arms.

The eyes looking through the red mask of blood were even redder, although they looked at a point slightly to the side of the young man standing in front of him. They looked haunted, wild.

"How...?" The cold voice said from beneath the crimson face, "How can you... be so strong...?"

The young man reached down, grabbing the older man by the high collar, now stained and almost unrecognisable.

With a tug, the man was on his feet, only being held up by the one arm.

Face to face, glaring into each others eyes, so similar and yet only one of them bore hatred.

Time seemed to stand still as the clouds finally burst. The threatening rain began to fall between them and all about them.

The older of the two looked up to the sky, smiling briefly at the steely grey clouds.

"How fitting..." He said, still smiling and closing his eyes.

He was shaken roughly and returned his gaze to the younger man before him, supporting him with only one arm.

A fist was drawn back and landed flush in one of the many cuts on the older man's face, opening it up afresh.

With a grunt he swayed backwards, only to be dragged forward again as a knee landed heavily in his chest.

He laughed suddenly and the next blow stopped before it could land.

A furious hate sprung to the younger man's face. He pulled the older man closer.

"How can you laugh!" He screamed, shaking him violently, his eyes wide and more wild than that of his opponent, "How can you be smiling, after what you've done!"

A fresh flurry of blows, striking out faster than the eye could follow, hit the older man. He didn't even try to block them or dodge. His knees were weak and he knew it was pointless, anyway.

And yet still he laughed as they subsided with a terrible uppercut. He slid down to the ground, folding up onto his knees, unable to support himself at all, several of his teeth broken, and looked yet again up to the sky.

"How...," he repeated, "Can you be so strong...?"

Silence.

A silence where the wind alone whispered here on this broken field, across the fells and the craters.

"Foolish older brother..." Said Sasuke quietly.

Itachi looked up at Sasuke.

Chidori, the move which had been so easy to block so long ago, now looked like it would be the end.

Sasuke brought his arm back, aiming for the smiling face of his older brother, bloodied and battered though it was.

"IT'S BECAUSE YOU LACK HATRED!" He screamed.

* * *

I'm not bashing Itachi in this, as I think he's kinda cool; but he just has to die. He's the evillest character on Naruto and I can't see him dying in his bed at age 110 with all his relatives around him and saying "You lot can bugger off, I left all my possessions to my goldfish!", can you? 

A bit short, but I had planned to do a short for a long while, and what better short than one that looks at the end of the bitter brotherly 'love' between Sasuke and Itachi.

I can see Itachi smiling at the end, which would certainly leave Sasuke feeling pretty crap forever after. That would be just like Itachi.


End file.
